About
Biomechanigg was founded in 1991 by the current Chief Science Officer: Dr. Benno M. Nigg. The CEO and owner of the company is Sandro Nigg. The rest of the team consists of an associate professor, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, technicians and visiting students.
Sandro Nigg
Owner and Chief Executive Officer
Sandro is the CEO and current owner of Biomechanigg. Sandro has over 20 years of experience in operations, project management, client management, business development, as well as designing and executing qualitative and quantitative research projects. Sandro was the event director for the 2019 ISB/ASB Congress and Footwear Biomechanics Symposium.
Benno Nigg
Founder and Chief Science Officer
Dr. Nigg is the founder and chief science officer of Biomechanigg. He has a doctorate in natural sciences (Physics) from the ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Dr. Nigg also founded the Human Performance Laboratory. He is the author of more than 350 scientific publications and the recipient of many awards (e.g. Olympic Order, Alberta Science and Technology Award, Muybridge Medal of the ISB.) and elected member of three Scientific Academies.
Vinzenz von Tscharner
Consultant
Dr. Vinzenz von Tscharner acts as a scientific consultant for Biomechanigg. He received his diploma in applied physics and mathematics 1974 and his PhD degree in biophysics at the University of Basel, Switzerland. His main field of research is the signal propagation controlling movement patterns of humans. This involves biophysical/biomedical measurements and the analysis of sensory systems.
Jared Fletcher
Consultant
Dr. Jared Fletcher is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Physical Education at Mount Royal University and serves as a scientific consultant for Biomechanigg. He received his PhD in applied muscle physiology at the University of Calgary. His main research interests lie in examining the energetic implications of muscle-tendon interaction during running and walking as well as physiological methods to optimize performance in recreational and elite athletes.
Tao Liu
Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Tao Liu completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in mechanical Engineering at Northeastern University (China) with a focus on robot design. He obtained his PhD degree in biomechanics at the University of Alberta. His PhD research has centered on the use of biomechanical simulation and machine learning principles to investigate clinical conditions and design healthcare solutions that enhance human performance. His current research focuses on the development of algorithms to determine return-to-play readiness using wearable technology.
Ashna Subramanium
PhD Candidate, Biomechanics
Ashna completed her Bachelor of Science in Biomechanics at the University of Calgary with a research focus on the effects of shoe uppers on performance during lateral movements. Ashna then started an MSc in Biomechanics, and went on to transfer into the PhD program. Her main research interest is studying the role of footwear in athletic performance as she has been an elite tennis player for more than ten years, and also played for the Tennis Team of the university. More specifically, Ashna’s PhD research investigates a potential ‘Teeter-Totter’ effect in advanced running footwear to understand the contributions of different shoe features to improvements in running performance.
Patrick Milner
Master’s Student
Patrick Milner completed his Bachelors of science with honors majoring in biomechanics at the University of Calgary with a research focus in the biomechanics of knee braces for sport applications. During his undergrad Patrick received the club athlete of the year award to recognize his leadership, academic, and athletic achievement in his sport of rowing. Patrick is currently in his master’s degree in biomedical engineering studying the impact of advanced footwear technologies on midfoot bone strain and potential stress fracture risks.
Adam Bradshaw
Master’s Student
Adam completed his BSc in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He then spent two years as a Research Engineer at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado, with research focuses in orthopedic biomechanics and clinical outcomes. Now working on his MSc in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Calgary, his research investigates the optimization of ice hockey skate fit using statistical shape modeling.
Juliana Heinz-Cyr
Operations and Office Administration
Juliana has been with Biomechanigg for over two years, and obtained her B.A. at the University of Calgary. She is responsible for the operational and administrative activities of Biomechanigg. With many years of experience in project and resource management, together with an affinity for keeping things organized, she is able to provide support to the team in all areas.